Ma'am. There was no sudden recognition, no adjustment in posture, and no warmer smile after hearing her name. He simply asked, "Where's the electrical room? " Celeste pointed toward the mechanical corridor. "Last door on the left. " "Thank you. " Then he walked past her. Celeste stayed where she was for a moment.
All evening, men had found reasons to keep her in conversation. They wanted her attention, her contacts, her approval, or the possibility of being seen standing close to her. The electrician had learned her name and immediately decided the electrical panel mattered more. She found the experience strangely refreshing. Inside the electrical room, Desmond set down his tool bag and went to work.
He did not reset anything, merely to see what happened. He checked the panel schedule, tested the tripped circuit, traced the newer conduit, and compared the readings with the load information posted inside the cabinet. Victor stood beside him while Celeste watched from several feet back. "What are you seeing? " Victor asked. Desmond checked the meter again.
New equipment was added to a circuit already carrying more than it should. Breaker failed? No. The breaker did exactly what it was supposed to do. Celeste folded her arms.
Can the building be made safe tonight? Desmond looked toward her. Yes. Can it be fully corrected tonight? Yes, but not quickly.
Victor understood what that meant before Celeste asked. How long? A few hours, assuming nothing else is wrong. Victor nodded. Emergency overtime.
The phrase landed harder on Desmond than either of them knew. A few hours of emergency overtime would cover a meaningful part of Tessa's orthodontic deposit. It might keep him from touching the money he had protected for supervisory training. Then his phone vibrated. He pulled it out.
The lock screen showed Tessa kneeling beside her robot at the kitchen table. Beneath the picture was a message telling him the final run was at 710 and warning him not to become one of those fathers who blamed traffic. Desmond checked the time. It was already after 6. Celeste noticed the smallest change in his face.
"Can you stay? " she asked. Desmond put the phone back into his pocket. "I can isolate the added load and make everything safe. I'll come back at 6:00 tomorrow morning and finish the permanent correction. " Victor studied him. "You sure? " "Yes," Celeste said.
We'll pay emergency overtime. I know. Her eyes narrowed slightly. Then what's stopping you? Desmond returned his attention to the panel.
My daughter is waiting for me. There was no performance in the answer. He did not explain what the overtime meant financially or tell Celeste why the robotics competition mattered. He simply began preparing the temporary isolation. Celeste watched him longer than necessary.